2023 Commencement Speaker Announced

Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is proud to announce that alumnus and former U.S. Representative for Florida’s 26th Congressional District, Carlos Curbelo ‘98, will be the speaker at the commencement exercises for the class of 2023. The ceremony will take place at the James L. Knight Center on Thursday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m. and will be streamed live on the school’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/BelenJesuit.

“We are deeply honored Carlos accepted our invitation to be part of this important milestone in the life of these young men,” said Fr. Guillermo García-Tuñón, ‘87, President of Belen Jesuit. “He is a wonderful example of a Jesuit-educated man who is living the magis every day of his life. His commitment to public service is an outstanding example of what it means to be a man for others. I am sure he will leave a profound and lasting message to the class of 2023 and the whole Belen community.”

“Over the years, I have delivered many speeches in the United States Congress,” said Curbelo. “I’ve also had the opportunity to address heads of state from all over the world. Speaking at Belen’s 2023 Commencement Ceremony will be one of the greatest honors of my life.”

Carlos Curbelo was born in Miami, Florida, in 1980, to political refugees who fled tyranny and oppression in Cuba. He was educated in the public school system and then at Belen Jesuit. He is a proud Wolverine from the class of 1998. He attended the University of Miami, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in public administration

In 2002, Carlos founded a public and media relations firm. He successfully led it for 12 years. In 2010, he was elected to represent his community on the Miami-Dade County School Board, and in 2014 he was elected to Congress, where he served until January 2019. In Congress, Carlos was consistently ranked one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and led on complex issues like climate policy, immigration, gun reform, and tax policy. He was also a prominent voice in international affairs. In 2017, Curbelo was honored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation with the New Frontier Award for his work promoting bipartisan cooperation on environmental policy. Today, Carlos co-leads the Vocero public affairs firm and serves as an on-air analyst for NBC NEWS. Carlos has been married to his wife Cecilia since 2006. They have two daughters, Sylvie and Carolina.